Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-205622 discloses a conventional electric steering locking apparatus of this kind. When the electric steering locking apparatus constitutes a cam member, the electric steering locking apparatus mainly includes a rotation shaft that is rotated by driving operation of a drive source, the cam member that is fixed to the rotation shaft and that rotates together with the rotation shaft in an unlocking direction and a locking direction, a locking member that has a cam abutment surface abutting against a sliding surface of the cam member and that follows the sliding surface of the cam member and moves between a locking position where the rotation of a steering shaft is locked and an unlocking position where the rotation of the steering shaft is permitted, and a spring that biases the locking member toward the locking position.
With the above configuration, while a vehicle is parked, the locking member is located in the locking position and the steering shaft is locked. Thus, the vehicle can be theftproof during parking.
When a parked vehicle is to be driven, the cam member rotates in the unlocking direction by the driving operation of the drive source, the locking member is brought into the unlocking position, and the rotation of the steering shaft is permitted.